


er, so your birthday cake

by fated_addiction



Category: GOT7, K-pop, KARA (Band), Korean Actor RPF, 룸메이트 | Roommate (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-17 08:28:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3522395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fated_addiction/pseuds/fated_addiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The list isn't even written on paper and comes, via text, in a mess of bullet points, sub-bullet points, and numbers <i>and</i> three different languages. Because, well, it's Jackson.</i>
</p>
<p>(OR that time Jackson ask Youngji to do a bunch of stuff for his birthday because he can and okay, maybe, just maybe, she's taking this birthday thing a little too seriously.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	er, so your birthday cake

**Author's Note:**

> For [ohjongdae](http://ohjongdae.tumblr.com/). Because I couldn't help myself.

The list isn't even written on paper and comes, via text, in a mess of bullet points, sub-bullet points, and numbers _and_ three different languages. Because, well, it's Jackson.

"Yah!" she greets when she calls him, somewhere between the airport and the dormitory. Her hair is pulled back tightly. She lost her sunglasses somewhere in the back seat. She's glad they're not having a video call because she doesn't want him to see her like this and, um, suddenly she's thinking about these things again. She's worried. She's clumsy, even clumsier at birthdays too. "Is number seven your mom's recipe? Like --" she huffs, rubbing her eyes. "I understand chicken and spicy broccoli, but that's because I asked Gyuri-eonni to help me translate. But I can't cook like your _mom_ \--"

Jackson laughs. His phone is muffled for a second. She hears more laughter in the background, while someone says, "Tell Youngji I said hi!" and it must be Mark because Jackson is yelling back, "I will SO not listen to her call you _oppa_ , dude."

She laughs, then rolls her eyes, then thinks about how stupid boys are because boys are stupid and _stupidly_ territorial about too many things. She half-listens to more laughter, opens up her planner, and flips to the page where she wrote down about a third of what he wanted from the list that he sent.

"I'm going to hang up," she says, and there's more laughter, and almost kicks her feet. "Or just get you a cupcake."

"Yah!" Jackson says. "It's not happening. Cupcakes are _lame_."

"So is sleeping in on your birthday, fool," she shoots back. "You'll miss the entire day."

"I'll be at the house!"

Her mouth twitches. She feels like she hasn't seen him in forever. They talk a lot, of course. They even video chat because he says things like, "You're taking care of yourself, right?" which is, well, his version of teasing her. Fun fact: he has never once called her ugly and that isn't something she can go and deny.

"And besides," he continues, "I'm giving you options. Birthday presents are hard, you know. And you're busy. I just wanted to help out."

"Birthday presents are supposed to be a _surprise_. Where's the fun, then, in knowing?"

He scoffs. She can hear the glare in the sound and picture the way his face sort of scrunches, like he can't decide what to do with her. She listens to a door open and then shut and then there is a settled silence on the other line. She listens to him breathe and bites her lip.

_Why are you so awkward_ , she scolds herself. "But if this is what you want," she mumbles. "Then I'll see what I can do, I guess."

"Especially number five."

She blinks and presses her finger into the paper. It drags down slowly. It's a lot of silly stuff, the things she can read, and sweet stuff, like his mom's chicken recipe which, well, she only knows because it would be something she'd ask for too. She finds number five though, smeared ink in the corner and her handwriting is just so sloppy because she was in a hurry and the drive to the airport was bumpy.

_call me oppa!_

"Wang Jackson," she mutters, blushing. This is going to be a really, really long day.

 

 

-

 

 

She _tries_ her best. Really. She tries her best to let him sleep in and even goes as far as to park herself right on the couch, just outside the bedroom he shares with Kangjoon because she knows he's home, that he got back to the house at a reasonable time, _and_ it's stupid that he wants to sleep in and waste a beautiful day. Birthdays are all day, she thinks sourly. Not noon until _whenever_.

"Just go _in_ ," Gukujoo tells her, after passing her to go into the kitchen. She's laughing and getting ready to leave for work. They'll have an event with everyone else later. "Kangjoon will be back later and it's not like --" Gukujoo shakes her head. "Just _behave_ , okay!"

Youngji's face flushes. "Eonni!"

"I mean it!" Gukujoo calls, laughing. "No scandals today!"

Youngji can only groan and hide her face in her hands.

But she takes the permission, bites her lip, and knows, knows, that's the production team is only set to shoot the roommates' surprise later in the night so she has to be sneaky and take advantage. She manages to bypass any sort of distraction, listening to Sunny and Nana walk around upstairs, talking about Cucumber and their morning tasks, before opening the room door and quietly sneaking in.

"This is ridiculous," she mutters, and she has never, _ever_ snuck into anyone's room, let alone a boy _idol's_ room before. Scandal, she thinks. Oh god, what if she creates a scandal? He comes into your room all the time, she tells herself too.

She walks quietly to his bed anyway and around Kangjoon's, at a loss of what to do now that she's finally here. The lights are off but she can see in the dark, between the night light and the lamp she can only assume Kangjoon left on for her since _everyone_ seems to know her plan.

She moves to stand on the bed. Her feet sink into the mattress, but Jackson doesn't wake or stir. He snores softly and her mouth twitches.

"Idiot," she murmurs.

Youngji kicks his leg gently. Then she does it again.

"Yah."

There's a groan.

"Wang Jackson," she says, then starts in a little more, kicking his leg again. "It's your birthday and you need to get up."

His arm swings back and he doesn't open his eyes. His arm moves to cover his face.

"What time is it?" he asks, but it sounds more like: "Yahbutwa?" and she's long since accepted that she can translate for him.

"It's eight."

" _Yah_." His arm drops from his face. He squints and he's almost glaring at her too. "This isn't sleeping in! I said to let me _sleep in_. Sleeping in is, like, noon."

She drops down on his bed, sitting easily. Her fingers start to flick against his leg.

"No it isn't," she sings. "I'm being generous. I wanted to make a birthday breakfast with you."

"That's not on the list," he mutters, turning on his side again. His knees hit her legs and she pouts. "Birthday dinner. Chicken. Cake. All on the list, Youngji-ah. Not birthday breakfast. Nope."

She sighs dramatically. "You're impossible."

"It wasn't on the list!"

"You're wasting a day," she mutters, then grabs a pillow from Kangjoon's bed. She hits Jackson in the face. "Get _up_ , Wang Jackson. Things. To. Do."

He grabs the pillow from her, his eyes still closed.

"Go. Away." He mocks her too. "Let me _sleep_."

He makes a face and she can't help but laugh, covering her mouth with her hand and blushing, just a little bit, because okay, maybe, it's a little more than cute. His hair is everywhere, sticking up, smoothed back, and she can't help but reach forward, pressing slightly against his side, to smooth his hair back and away from his face.

His eyes seem to widen, just slightly, his mouth opening and his face turning into her hand. Her hand graze his mouth too and she feels his sigh against the tips of her fingers. If he were to move a little closer, his mouth _could_ kiss them. She can't even shy away from those thoughts. It's like a dare. It's a terrible habit, she thinks briefly. Always thinks, actually. But he pushes and she pushes back. She can't help it; then again, thoughts are just thoughts.

"I'm going back to bed," he murmurs, turning his face away. He moves to shift away from her too and she moves off his bed, standing and shuffling her feet to the door. 

Youngji plays a little dirty. She's committed the list to memory, after all.

"See you in the kitchen, oppa," she says. Or tries. She won't admit to either one.

(It's on the list.)

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

_mom's chicken_

This is a little more complicated. In fact, it's the most complicated because she, at the very least, didn't get to enjoy teasing Jackson about getting out of bed fast enough for him to shove food in his mouth and then get kidnapped by both Seho and Dongwook and the other oppas for a surprise by his members. She has two hours to cook, spends thirty minutes making sure she has all the ingredients thirty times, before starting and finishing under the guise of both Sunny and Jongok.

"Stop getting flustered," Sunny teases, and then ruffles her hair. "We'll watch the food."

"How did you get the recipe anyway?" Jongok asks.

"I called his mom."

Sunny puts her coffee down. Jongok stares at her, half-wide eyed, half-impressed. Youngji feels inexplicably shy, biting her lip and struggling to explain himself.

"It was hard," she adds. "Because my English... it's kind of awkward and it's not going to be exactly her recipe which, well, turns out it's his favorite and it's what he asked for and god, I'm rambling, right?"

Sunny laughs, shaking her head. "Go. You're going to be late at the coffee shop."

The latte, she remembers, which is, was, the third or four or maybe sixth (probably the seventh?) thing on the list. Jackson wanted a latte named after him which, for her mother, was already a given. And hilarious too, apparently. "You'll just be responsible for the recipe," her mother had said and well, all of Jackson's list seems to revolve around food.

Which is why she rushes out the door.

She nearly drops her phone too, in the car, and her manager oppa (bribed by Hara) is laughing at her sudden, sporadic clumsiness. It's like the rest of the world is just waiting for her to either screw up or, well, do something stupid. 

_DON'T BE LATE_ , she accidentally texts Jackson.

"Oh god," she breathes, and fumbles, searching through her contacts. She finds Mark and JB and is trying to decide who will either pick up and keep the secret or pick up and get him to the coffee shop.

Two seconds later, she gets a text from Mark.

_his phone is dying and he's worried that you might not let him sleep again and doesn't get it whoops_

"Idiot, I'm an idiot," she mutters. She calls Mark and he answers, laughing. "Are you near him?" she asks breathlessly and then checks her watch. "I'm almost to the shop, oppa."

"DON'T CALL HIM OPPA!" comes from the phone too, over Mark's laughter. Someone is pushed and she can hear Mark running away. "Sorry," he says. "We had a lot of cake."

"You can't be late," she scowls, and she's really nervous, nervous enough that her hands start shaking in her lap. Her palms are warm and there is no way she's going to get this done -- did he want chocolate or white chocolate? What if the chicken gets cold? Or white chocolate chicken? Her head is spinning with recipes. "I'm going crazy," she mutters too.

"Don't be nervous," Mark tells her. He starts to laugh. He's out of breath and she can hear Jackson in the background. "We'll get him there in one piece, sister-in-law. Just trust us."

Youngji feels like she's going to go crazy.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

She can draw cute faces, emojis, and really, really, _really_ cute rabbits and tiny things. And chickens. She can draw chickens, weirdly enough. But for whatever reason, she can't make a cute sign for this stupid latte he wants.

"I'm _doomed_ ," she moans at her sister who, if anything, is her savior. She helps her clean up the rest of the white mocha and raspberry mess she's made in the back kitchen. 

Youngji has made a milkshake, a smoothie, an Americano with flavoring, and even cookies which, ugh, she ends up hating because they are _ridiculously_ sweet and she doesn't understand why or how he likes things this sweet anyway. They all sit on the table in the kitchen, all in a row, as she tries and inspects what she's already made.

"He's going to hate them."

She throws away the smoothie in the sink. Youngji sighs loudly, rubbing her temples. Her fingers are sticky.

"I'm _doomed_." She checks her watch. "So doomed."

"How much time do you have?" her sister asks. "The Americano is really good though."

She shakes her head. "He wants a _latte_ , eonni."

"Well, what do you want to give him?"

She's startled, freezing. She picks up the Americano and stares at her sister as if she's been caught. Her cheeks are warm and she bites her lip. 

"I want to give him a good day, you know?" she says quietly. "I'm lucky. Of course, I have my eonnis. But you and mom and dad -- you're right here. So if I can go home, I can go home. If you guys can come and visit me, you guys can come and visit me. Birthdays were always simple and special for us and I just --"

The kitchen door is open. It takes her a minute to realize that Jackson is standing there, right next to Mark, and that he's _early_. She flushes again or even deeper; she can't really decide anymore. Her reaction is immediate and her mouth opens and closes, her teeth pushing at her lip. He's staring at her and she's dimly aware of some of his other members here too.

Her sister steps in for her. "Yah," she says, stepping around to greet Jackson. She hits his arm. "Happy birthday," she says and then pushes his members out into the cafe. "I'll make the rest of you useful."

Jr. waves to them both. "I don't even know why I'm here," he teases and there's foam on his lip. He's dragged out by Mark, who can only laugh.

"Keep it quiet!" Her sister calls too.

The door closes behind her, but the laughter is still there. She sees a few heads pop in through the window, trying to be subtle about spying on both her and Jackson. She almost laughs, but her stomach starts to knot and she's distracted by butterflies and the goosebumps on her arms. Youngji bites her lip hard, leaning against the table. She can see her reflection in the mirror by the door. She has chocolate powder on her face, syrup on her apron, and her fingertips are stained. 

"Were you trying to --" his voice is low and he clears his throat. "Were you trying to make me a latte?" he asks and he steps forward, closer.

"It was on the list," she murmurs.

He pokes at one of the drinks. "That's a milkshake though."

"A fail," she agrees.

Jackson pushes the cap off the cup, picking it up and swirling the straw around. He takes a taste.

"Sweet!" he grins.

"But it's not what you wanted," she says, pouting. She huffs. "And I still haven't heard back from Sunny-eonni about the chicken either." She picks up her phone, but Jackson pulls it away from her. "I'm worried about _dinner_ ," she breathes.

"It's just food, you know."

She shakes her head. "It's your birthday," she insists.

"Yah."

He puts her phone down. His hand brushes against her face and her eyes are huge, watching him as he draws her forward. It happens suddenly, steadily, and his arm drops over her shoulder as he holds her against him. She can barely bring herself to react.

She's aware of his mouth. It shyly presses over her forehead. His mouth is warm too, soft, and then turns and grazes her chin and her jaw.

"It doesn't matter," he murmurs. "The list."

Her mouth turns. "Now, you tell me. You're expensive."

Jackson laughs, the sound low. "Yup," he says. "And you love it too."

Her nose wrinkles. "Ugh," she breathes and tries to push away, but he only seems to keep her closer. "Not really -- it's stressful, you know, trying to plan small events for you."

"Well." Jackson nudges her to look at him and she tilts her head up. "You did wake me up this morning and, _and_ , by the way, stupidly early."

She shrugs. "You had things to do."

"Were you trying to get me out of the house?"

Youngji laughs. "Yah -- what are you getting yet?"

"Did you really call me --"

The kitchen door swings back and they're interrupted, easily, with his members dropping in and her sister waving at her from the front of the cafe. 

"You too Jackson!" her sister calls. "You can help and show your members."

Jackson grabs her hand, pulling her forward. His fingers are warm and his grip is tight. This could be a scandal, she thinks. Then she remembers her sister and his members in the front of the cafe. It's more like a supervised scandal anyway.

She can't even lie to herself.

This was a terrible plan.

 

 

 

-

 

 

There is dinner with his members, the _Roommate_ family, production staff and crew, and a few more of Jackson's idols friends.

Sunny keeps her promise and hides the chicken away until Youngji can get to it, even though she's completely flustered and smiling and almost _too_ happy that Jackson is having a good day with all his friends. She watches him too, watches him eat and pick at the food people have brought for him. He only has a little bit of the meat. A little bit of the cake. He keeps looking at her and then around, waiting for _something_. It makes her smile.

She waits until everyone leaves and wraps up, until the others go off to bed and Jackson disappears into his room with Kangjoon. She manages to warm up the food and taste it to try -- it can't be his mom's exact taste, she thinks, and a part of her is a little bit disappointed because it's a reach and she wants to give him something like that. It's good enough though, she thinks, and turns to setting up in the backyard.

Hara packed her the tablecloth and she uses dishes she borrowed from her mother to set out the food. Gukujoo had found some candles and spared her the teasing as she helped her smuggle them into the backyard for this. It's romantic and she knows. She knows what this looks like. But for once, she thinks, she wanted to do something for him and know that he's the only one watching. It's a feeling that she struggles with and admissions, those kinds of admissions, are the only thing she can give him like this.

It takes her a minute to text him.

_come out_

Her hands are trembling. She smoothes them over her legs and then sits on her knees, leaning forward to light the candle in the cupcake. She tries to think _it's a really pretty night_ and can only check her phone a couple more times, looking behind her at the sliding door. But the lights are still low and there is no movement inside.

"Please don't be sleeping," she mutters.

It's another minute. Then it's five more. Her heart is racing. He's not going to come, she tells herself. The idiot is sleeping. He would be sleeping. She should have just told him, she thinks too.

A jacket drops over her shoulders.

"It's cold, idiot."

Her eyes widen. Her fingers touch the collar of the jacket.

"Took you long enough," she mumbles, and she watches him step around her, sitting down. His eyes are a little wide and he seems surprised and confused. "It's going to get cold," she scolds, picking up some chopsticks.

She shoves them forward. He takes them from her.

"I called your mom," she continues. Her voice is breathless and she feels shy and ridiculous. The jacket is sinking on her shoulders and she shuffles closer to him, out of habit. "I -- Hara-eonni helped me a lot with the translating because if I was going to make this, I wanted to get it right --"

He reaches forward, mouth full of food, and covers her mouth with his hand.

"Yah." His voice is soft, awed. "It's delicious."

"Really?" Her heart is in her throat.

"Uh. Yeah."

He doesn't press and she watches him devour the food. The candle in the cupcake goes out. She shifts and leans forward again, her hair spilling over her eyes as she tries and lights it.

"Wait," he says and catches her wrist with his fingers. "It's going to keep blowing out," he says, amused.

"I'm just trying to compete with how fast you eat, oppa."

It sort of slips, like _really_ slips, enough for him to stop midway with his food and stare at her with wide eyes. He makes a sound in his throat. Then he puts his chopstick down. He leans in and blows out the candle, shaking his head and then grabbing her hand.

"That's twice."

She blinks. "What?"

His finger pokes at her nose. She frowns. He's got sauce on his lip and she reaches forward too, brushing her fingers against his lip and catching the sauce.

"You --" he clears his throat, shaking his head, "You called me _oppa_ twice."

"There wasn't a number on the list," she says. "I can go back to Wang Jackson if you want --"

"It's only eleven o'clock," he argues. "I have an hour. You still have to do what I say."

"It's twenty minutes until." Her eyes narrow. "You're trying to milk this for all it's worth, I see."

Jackson grins. "A promise is a promise."

"I didn't promise anything," she insists and she tries to kick him, missing. He laughs.

She bites at her finger, licking some of the sauce away that's still there. It's a little spicy because he can't handle spicy and his mother explained that she usually adjusts the chicken dish to whatever mood he's in. She paid attention, you know, and has various versions of the recipe just in case -- for what, she doesn't know. But Youngji is always prepared.

He's watching her. His mouth curls.

She looks away, blushing. "I wanted you to --"

"Have a good day," he finishes and then it's abrupt, fast, and his hand moves to cup her face. Her eyes widen and his mouth covers hers, touching it just slightly, just before kissing her just like that.

It's nothing and everything and she doesn't have time to ask all the _whys_ that suddenly explode in her head. He tastes spicy and sweet; it's her first, her last, and only thought, cycled into repetition in her head. She's kissing him. She's kissing him. _She's kissing him._ She can't stop and her mouth opens, just a little wider, into a sigh and his hand is on her hip now too, pulling her forward. Her legs drop and extend, just as she curls, flushed, into his hip. He keeps her close and her fingers twist in his sweatshirt.

It doesn't matter who pulls away first. She's breathing heavily. Her mouth feels hot.

His fingers touch her lip. 

"From now on," he says and looks at her, _really_ looks at her. Her ears start to ring. "Oppa is for me," he tells her.

"Well --"

Jackson shakes his head. "I only want you to call me oppa _and_ mean it," he says. 

He asks for a promise, then, there and seriously; it's an easy _thank you_ and something more. He pulls back and digs into the food again, shuffling his legs back and leaving her there, next to him, with the kiss still hanging in the air. It'll be twelve soon, she thinks. She continues to sit there, watching him, waiting for him to finish his food and smiling because he enjoys it.

Youngji is best when keeping her promises.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(Gyuri finds the list a week later, _her_ version of the list, after it falls out of her bag in the practice room.

"A Jackson latte?" she reads and Youngji squeals, rushing to grab the slip of paper from her eonni's hand. The older girl ducks and spins, laughing delightedly. "It sounds dirty."

"I hate you," she mutters, grabbing the paper back and ignoring the other members' laughter. She folds the slip of paper and shoves into her bag, careful to hide it between her planner and a book.

The bottom of the list is written with smudges, arrows, lines and numbers one through five. It bleeds through the corners of the paper and you can almost make it out the last request on the list too with her handwriting --

_oppa -- I want Youngji to call me oppa! (O__O) ~~he's insane~~_ )


End file.
